CHESTERFIELD, Mo. – The Missouri Baptist University women's beach volleyball team improved to 6-3 on the year after taking down Principia College, 4-1, in the home opener Tuesday at the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex.
 
After beginning the season 4-0 together, Sarah Bolton and Isidora Stojovic experienced a four-game skid with three losses at the Emerald Beach Hotel Classic and another one at Nebraska. On Tuesday, the pair got back on track with a 21-13, 24-22 victory over Principia's Victoria Vandriver and Sophia Hathaway at the No. 2 spot.
 
Bumped up to the No. 3 slot against the Panthers, Sophia Cristiani and Sarah Wilson continued their winning ways by defeating PC's Mesa Goebel and Sarah Ungerleider, 21-14, 21-6. Cristiana and Wilson improved to 8-1 on the year.
 
With the absence of Ariana Macies on Tuesday, junior Raylyn Dodd teamed up with Morgan Berry to get the 21-13, 21-6 at No. 4s over Lindsey Huffman and Viviane de Castro.
 
The Spartans' first win of the day came in a landslide victory at the No. 5 position. Competing together for the first time, freshman Kaili Smith and sophomore Nicole Bott formed some quick chemistry and downed Principia's Caroline Bumbaugh and Kiona Sperr, 21-4, 21-5.
 
Principia avoided the 5-0 sweep winning at No. 1s. The Panthers' team of Devon Marunde and Hayden Warner proved to be too much for Kamden Maas and Lisanne van Houwelingen in a 21-12, 21-16 defeat.
 
In exhibition action, MBU's Sam Kurm and Kennise Merriman struggled to find their rhythm dropping both sets to Principia's Lindsey Huffman and Sarah Ungerleider, 21-15, 21-12.
 
Up next for the Spartans is the MBU Beach Volleyball Tournament on Friday, March 13 held at the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex. The first match versus new beach volleyball program St. Louis College of Pharmacy is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. The Spartans' other matches will take place ~ 3 p.m. (Ottawa) and 6 p.m. (Columbia).

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